Darcie Boschee
During the long, hot, humid days of summer, light, cool and refreshing desserts are a necessity. Sorbet fits the bill in all of these categories, plus it is wickedly easy to make.
Healthy Bites: Couscous is ideal for a picnic salad
Couscous salad with easy-to-make curry oil travels well, so it makes an ideal salad for summer picnics.
Beers To You: FestivALE to highlight the art of brewing during FestivALL
Select venues will offer specially priced craft-made or artisanal beer during Charleston's FestivALL, June 19-27.
Healthy Bites: More choice coming in artificial sweeteners
For those looking for choices beyond the artificial sweeteners of aspartame (Equal) and sucralose (Splenda), PepsiCo. recently announced the launch of an all-natural stevia-sweetened beverage.
  • Bakin' 'n' Bacon: One dough, many cookies
  • Food notes: July 1, 2009
    • Sniff your way to slimness
    • Bridge Road tastings
    • Capitol Market report
    Food notes: June 24, 2009
    • Fresh at Capitol Market
    • Extension Days
    • Vendors wanted for Putnam farmers market
    • State Fair Recipe Challenge
    Food notes: June 3, 2009
    • Symphony Sunday
    • Locally grown cooking event
    • Vandalia cake, cobbler winners
    • Pcik your own strawberries
    • Local blueberries, raspberries
    • Clulinary classes in Parkersburg
    Food notes: May 27, 2009
    Food notes: April 8, 2009
    • The sweet life just off I-79 in Sutton
    • Sustainable Fair at Stonewall Resort
    • Manna meal items needed
    Buon appetito!
    On July 4, 1909, Domenic and Caterina LeRose married in Caccurri, Italy, and later settled in Boomer. This weekend, their descendants gather in Charleston to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the couple's wedding.
    Blues, Brews & BBQ, and Wine and All That Jazz
    After years of laboring on farms, in restaurant kitchens, grocery stores and dining rooms owned by others, brothers-in-law Jim Smith and Nick Gohlmann punched their timecards for the last time and opened their own catering and barbecue business in Cross Lanes. They'll pit their ribs, pulled pork and pulled turkey sandwiches against other vendors at Blues, Brews and BBQ June 26 and Wine and All That Jazz June 27 on the University of Charleston campus.
    Table talk: Competition heats up for chili cook-off
    As of last week, Jennifer Igo had registered 74 cooks for the Smoke on the Water Cook-off on Saturday. "Last year at this time we had about 60. This might be one of our biggest, if not the biggest, years," said Igo. "I'm absolutely thrilled."
    Kebabs are an easy, quick meal perfect for summertime dining
    Table talk: New eatery in Gassaway is a place to crow about
    It's not far as the crow flies -- or as the cars drive. The Red Rooster Café in Gassaway offers upscale dining on a small town's main street.
    Making marshmallows -- waiting is the hard part
    I like it when I can surprise people with my pastimes of cooking and baking. When I present friends or acquaintances with something like home-cured bacon, they are usually incredulous: "You MADE that?"  Most recently I had that response when I made marshmallows.
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